ScienceDaily: Top News

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• A test of the senses in the search for a 'shoal mate'
• Promising new drug could help patients battling deadly and difficult to treat form of melanoma
• Deeper view of HIV reveals impact of early mutations
• Drug helps purge hidden HIV
• Discovery of hair-cell roots suggests the brain modulates sound sensitivity
• Genetic manipulation boosts growth of brain cells linked to learning, enhances effects of antidepressants
• Nanoparticles affect nutrient absorption, study suggests
• Counting reef sharks with cameras: 'Chum cam' underwater video survey shows that reef sharks thrive in marine reserves
• Study pinpoints effects of different doses of an ADHD drug; Finds higher doses may harm learning
• Teach your robot well
• Multiple species of seacows once coexisted
• Insects have 'personalities' too, research on novelty-seeking honey bees indicates
• Iridescent, feathered dinosaur offers fresh evidence that feathers evolved to attract mates
• Polymer scientists and physicists, inspired by curly leaves, develop new technique for shaping thin gel sheets
• Powerful tool to measure metabolites in living cells
• Biologists locate brain's processing point for acoustic signals essential to human communication
• Could a NOSH-aspirin-a-day keep cancer away?
• Ultrafast sonograms shed new light on rapid phase transitions
• Researchers crack degeneration process that leads to Alzheimer's
• New throat cancer gene uncovered
• Scientists discover 'Achilles' heel' of clot-buster
• Protein folding: Understanding the dance of the chaperones
• Nintendo Wii™ game controllers help diagnose eye disorder
• Vaccination strategy may hold key to ridding HIV infection from immune system
• Oldest organism with skeleton discovered in Australia
• Want to limit aggression? Practice self-control
• Optimizing routes for underwater vehicles: Sometimes the quickest path is not a straight line
• Origami-inspired paper sensor could test for malaria and HIV for less than 10 cents, report chemists
• Mom's voice may improve the health of premature babies
• When prejudices become a disadvantage
• Computer processors: Saving power, saving money
• Maternal obesity may influence brain development of premature infants
• BP oil spill hurt marshes, but recovery possible, experts say
• Discovery of brain's natural resistance to drugs may offer clues to treating addiction
• How a bacterial pathogen breaks down barriers to enter and infect cells
• Archaeologists unearth slave burial ground on the island of St. Helena
• Proposed nuclear clock may keep time with the universe
• Scientists detect seismic signals from tornado
• Aging, overweight people stay happy says new study
• Large solar flares generate geomagnetic storm
• Wallflower or daredevil: Personality of male primates changes throughout life
• Men respond more aggressively than women to stress and it's all down to a single gene
• Daya Bay: Discovery of new kind of neutrino transformation
• Wash your mouth out with silver, to treat hard-to-treat mouth infections?
• Petunia points the way to better harvests: Understanding plants' relationships with helpful soil fungi
• The Darwin-Wallace mystery solved: Darwin vindicated from accusations of deceit
• Cannabinoid 2 receptors regulate impulsive behaviour
• HIV/AIDS vaccine shows long-term protection against multiple exposures in non-human primates

A test of the senses in the search for a 'shoal mate' Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:23 PM PST Young coral reef fish use sounds, smells and visual cues to find their nursery grounds, according to new research. By testing how young French grunts (a common fish in Curaçao and throughout the Caribbean) responded to local sounds, smells and visual cues, the researchers have unlocked, for the first time, the mystery of how centimeter-long juvenile fish can navigate from the high seas to find their shoal mates in amongst the roots of mangrove trees or blades of seagrass.

Promising new drug could help patients battling deadly and difficult to treat form of melanoma Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:22 PM PST Researchers say they may have discovered a new drug for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, one that uses the patient's own tumor cells to customize the therapy.

Deeper view of HIV reveals impact of early mutations Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:48 PM PST Mutations in HIV that develop during the first few weeks of infection may play a critical role in undermining a successful early immune response, a finding that reveals the importance of vaccines targeting regions of the virus that are less likely to mutate.

Drug helps purge hidden HIV Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:47 PM PST Researchers have successfully flushed latent HIV infection from hiding, with a drug used to treat certain types of lymphoma.

Discovery of hair-cell roots suggests the brain modulates sound sensitivity Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:46 PM PST The hair cells of the inner ear have a previously unknown "root" extension that may allow them to communicate with nerve cells and the brain to regulate sensitivity to sound vibrations and head position, researchers have discovered.

Genetic manipulation boosts growth of brain cells linked to learning, enhances effects of antidepressants Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:46 PM PST Investigators have identified a genetic manipulation that increases the development of neurons in the brain during aging and enhances the effect of antidepressant drugs.

Nanoparticles affect nutrient absorption, study suggests Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:46 PM PST Nanoparticles are everywhere. From cosmetics and clothes, to soda and snacks. But as versatile as they are, nanoparticles also have a downside, say researchers. These tiny particles, even in low doses, could have a big impact on our long-term health.

Counting reef sharks with cameras: 'Chum cam' underwater video survey shows that reef sharks thrive in marine reserves Posted: 08 Mar 2012 02:46 PM PST Scientists have used video cameras to count Caribbean reef sharks (Carcharhinus perezi) inside and outside marine reserves on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef in the Caribbean Sea. Using survey data collected from 200 baited remote underwater video cameras, nicknamed "chum cams," the scientists compared the relative abundance of these reef sharks in two marine reserves with those in two areas where fishing is allowed, and demonstrated that the sharks were more abundant in the reserves.

Study pinpoints effects of different doses of an ADHD drug; Finds higher doses may harm learning Posted: 08 Mar 2012 12:35 PM PST New research with monkeys sheds light on how the drug methylphenidate may affect learning and memory in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Teach your robot well Posted: 08 Mar 2012 12:35 PM PST A new study identifies the types of questions a robot can ask during a learning interaction that are most likely to characterize a smooth and productive human-robot relationship.

Multiple species of seacows once coexisted Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PST Sirenians, or seacows, are a group of marine mammals that include manatees and dugongs; Today, only one species of seacow is found in each world region. Scientists have discovered that this was not always the case. According to the fossil record of these marine mammals, which dates back 50 million years ago, it was more common to find three, or possibly more, different species of seacows living together at one time.

Insects have 'personalities' too, research on novelty-seeking honey bees indicates Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:32 AM PST Thrill-seeking is not limited to humans and other vertebrates, new research suggests. Some honey bees, too, are more likely than others to seek adventure. The brains of these novelty-seeking bees exhibit distinct patterns of gene activity in molecular pathways known to be associated with thrill-seeking in humans, researchers report.

Iridescent, feathered dinosaur offers fresh evidence that feathers evolved to attract mates Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:31 AM PST Researchers have revealed that the small, feathered dinosaur Microraptor had a glossy iridescent sheen like a modern crow and that its tail was narrow and adorned with a pair of streamer feathers, suggesting feathers originally evolved for display, rather than flight. The new fossil is the earliest record of iridescent color in feathers.

Polymer scientists and physicists, inspired by curly leaves, develop new technique for shaping thin gel sheets Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:31 AM PST Inspired by nature's ability to shape a petal, and building on simple techniques used in photolithography and printing, researchers have developed a new tool for manufacturing three-dimensional shapes easily and cheaply, to aid advances in biomedicine, robotics and tunable micro-optics. Researchers have just described their new method of halftone gel lithography for photo-patterning polymer gel sheets.

Powerful tool to measure metabolites in living cells Posted: 08 Mar 2012 11:31 AM PST By engineering cells to express a modified RNA called "Spinach," researchers have imaged small-molecule metabolites in living cells and observed how their levels change over time. Metabolites are the products of individual cell metabolism. The ability to measure their rate of production could be used to recognize a cell gone metabolically awry, as in cancer, or identify the drug that can restore the cell's metabolites to normal.

Biologists locate brain's processing point for acoustic signals essential to human communication Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:28 AM PST In both animals and humans, vocal signals used for communication contain a wide array of different sounds that are determined by the vibrational frequencies of vocal cords. Knowing how the brain sorts out these different frequencies -- which are called frequency-modulated sweeps—is believed to be essential to understanding many hearing-related behaviors, like speech. Now, a pair of biologists has identified how and where the brain processes this type of sound signal.

Could a NOSH-aspirin-a-day keep cancer away? Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:28 AM PST The humble aspirin may soon have a new role. Scientists have developed a new aspirin compound that has great promise to be, not only an extremely potent cancer-fighter, but even safer than the classic medicine cabinet staple, researchers say.

Ultrafast sonograms shed new light on rapid phase transitions Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:28 AM PST A method for taking ultrafast "sonograms" of materials undergoing phase transitions sheds new light on the dynamics of this important phenomenon in the world's fastest phase-change material.

Researchers crack degeneration process that leads to Alzheimer's Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:28 AM PST Scientists have uncovered a critical process in understanding the degeneration of brain cells sensitive to Alzheimer's disease (AD). The study suggests that this discovery could help develop alternative AD therapies.

New throat cancer gene uncovered Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:28 AM PST A new study has uncovered a mutation in the ATR gene, demonstrating the first evidence of a link between abnormality in this gene and an inherited form of cancer. The researchers say this finding raises new ideas about genetic factors linked to throat cancer and provides a platform for exploring the role of ATR more generally in cancer biology.

Scientists discover 'Achilles' heel' of clot-buster Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:27 AM PST A new study provides remarkable new insight into how plasmin is produced. This work may lead to more effective clot-busting drugs.

Protein folding: Understanding the dance of the chaperones Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:27 AM PST Proteins are the molecular building blocks and machinery of cells and involved in practically all biological processes. To fulfill their tasks, they need to be folded into a complicated three-dimensional structure. Scientists have now analyzed one of the key players of this folding process: the molecular chaperone DnaK.

Nintendo Wii™ game controllers help diagnose eye disorder Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:25 AM PST Wii remotes are not all about fun and games. Scientists can use them to assess and diagnose children with an abnormal head position caused by eye diseases. Researchers have now developed a low-cost digital head posture measuring device with Nintendo Wiimotes to help diagnose this condition, medically called ocular torticollis.

Vaccination strategy may hold key to ridding HIV infection from immune system Posted: 08 Mar 2012 10:25 AM PST Using human immune system cells in the lab, AIDS experts have figured out a way to kill off latent forms of HIV that hide in infected T cells long after antiretroviral therapy has successfully stalled viral replication to undetectable levels in blood tests.

Oldest organism with skeleton discovered in Australia Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:01 AM PST Paleontologists have discovered the oldest animal with a skeleton. Called Coronacollina acula, the organism is between 560 million and 550 million years old. The finding provides insight into the evolution of life on the planet, why animals go extinct, and how organisms respond to environmental changes. The discovery also can help scientists recognize life elsewhere in the universe. Coronacollina acula has a number of hard parts -- structural supports -- essentially holding it up.

Want to limit aggression? Practice self-control Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST Feeling angry and annoyed with others is a daily part of life, but most people don't act on these impulses. What keeps us from punching line-cutters or murdering conniving coworkers? Self control. A new review article examines the psychological research and finds that it's possible to deplete self-control -- or to strengthen it by practice.

Optimizing routes for underwater vehicles: Sometimes the quickest path is not a straight line Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST Scientists have developed a mathematical procedure that can optimize path planning for automated underwater vehicles, even in regions with complex shorelines and strong shifting currents. The system can provide paths optimized either for the shortest travel time or for the minimum use of energy, or to maximize the collection of data that is considered most important.

Origami-inspired paper sensor could test for malaria and HIV for less than 10 cents, report chemists Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, chemists have developed a 3-D paper sensor that may be able to test for diseases such as malaria and HIV for less than 10 cents a pop. The sensors can be printed out on an office printer, and take less than a minute to assemble.

Mom's voice may improve the health of premature babies Posted: 08 Mar 2012 09:00 AM PST When babies are born prematurely, they are thrust into a hospital environment that while highly successful at saving their lives, is not exactly the same as the mother's womb where ideal development occurs. Now, new research links exposure to an audio recording of mom's heartbeat and her voice to lower incidence of cardiorespiratory events in preterm infants.

When prejudices become a disadvantage Posted: 08 Mar 2012 08:57 AM PST Researchers have been exploring the question of whether prejudices might be rational under certain conditions. Using game theory, they created various scenarios and played them fifteen million times. The researchers have now reached a conclusion: those who are prejudiced are soon at a disadvantage, as they learn nothing new and miss many opportunities.

Computer processors: Saving power, saving money Posted: 08 Mar 2012 08:56 AM PST Engineers have proposed a method of cutting power use and costs in computer processors. Called fine-grained power gating, the method would shut off energy to unused portions of datapath and memory blocks. Current processors fully power all components but rarely are all fully engaged.

Maternal obesity may influence brain development of premature infants Posted: 08 Mar 2012 08:56 AM PST Maternal obesity may contribute to cognitive impairment in extremely premature babies, according to a new study.

BP oil spill hurt marshes, but recovery possible, experts say Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PST A new study shows that arthropods living in coastal salt marshes affected by BP oil spill were damaged but they were able to recover if their host plants remained healthy.

Discovery of brain's natural resistance to drugs may offer clues to treating addiction Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PST A single injection of cocaine or methamphetamine in mice caused their brains to put the brakes on neurons that generate sensations of pleasure, and these cellular changes lasted for at least a week, according to new research.

How a bacterial pathogen breaks down barriers to enter and infect cells Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PST Scientists have found for the first time that a bacterial pathogen can literally mow down protective molecules, known as mucins, on mucus membranes to enter and infect a part of the body.

Archaeologists unearth slave burial ground on the island of St. Helena Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:16 AM PST Archaeologists have unearthed a unique slave burial ground on the remote South Atlantic island of St. Helena. The excavation, which took place in advance of construction of a new airport on the island, has revealed dramatic insights into the victims of the Atlantic slave trade during the notorious Middle Passage.

Proposed nuclear clock may keep time with the universe Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:13 AM PST A proposed new time-keeping system tied to the orbiting of a neutron around an atomic nucleus could have such unprecedented accuracy that it neither gains nor loses 1/20th of a second in 14 billion years -- the age of the universe.

Scientists detect seismic signals from tornado Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:13 AM PST A geophysical experiment detected unusual seismic signals associated with tornadoes that recently struck regions across the Midwest -- information that may have value for meteorologists studying the atmospheric activity that precedes tornado disasters.

Aging, overweight people stay happy says new study Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:07 AM PST Growing older and being overweight are not necessarily associated with a decrease in mental well-being, according to a cross-cultural study looking at quality of life and health status in the US and the UK.

Large solar flares generate geomagnetic storm Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:07 AM PST A pair of unusually large solar flares early March 7, 2012 generated a Coronal Mass Ejection that was expected to reach Earth around mid-day March 8. It will likely cause at least a strong geomagnetic storm that could affect satellites in space and trigger auroral displays. The effects at ground level are expected to be limited, but there is a good chance for some excellent auroral displays in the north.

Wallflower or daredevil: Personality of male primates changes throughout life Posted: 08 Mar 2012 07:02 AM PST One individual is wild and audacious, the other one shy and cautious. It is widely unknown why there are major differences in personality even within a species. Scientists have now studied how male mouse lemurs are shy when young and grow more audacious as they age. Females remain about the same throughout their lifecycle.

Men respond more aggressively than women to stress and it's all down to a single gene Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:10 AM PST The pulse quickens, the heart pounds and adrenalin courses through the veins, but in stressful situations is our reaction controlled by our genes, and does it differ between the sexes? Scientists believe the SRY gene, which directs male development, may promote aggression and other traditionally male behavioral traits resulting in the fight-or-flight reaction to stress.

Daya Bay: Discovery of new kind of neutrino transformation Posted: 08 Mar 2012 04:10 AM PST The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment collaboration has announced a precise measurement of the last of the unsolved neutrino "mixing angles," which determine how neutrinos oscillate among different types. The ground-breaking collaboration is the most sensitive reactor neutrino experiment in the world. The results promise new insight into why enough ordinary matter survived after the big bang to form everything visible in the universe.

Wash your mouth out with silver, to treat hard-to-treat mouth infections? Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:25 AM PST Yeasts which cause hard-to-treat mouth infections are killed using silver nanoparticles in the laboratory, scientists have found. These yeast infections, caused by Candida albicans and Candida glabrata target the young, old and immuno-compromised. Scientists hope to test silver nanoparticles in mouthwash and dentures as a potential preventative measure against these infections.

Petunia points the way to better harvests: Understanding plants' relationships with helpful soil fungi Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:25 AM PST Most plants live in symbiosis with soil fungi and are supplied with water and nutrients as a result. Based on the petunia, plant biologists have now discovered that a special transport protein is required to establish this symbiotic relationship. The targeted control of this protein could lead to greater harvests.

The Darwin-Wallace mystery solved: Darwin vindicated from accusations of deceit Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:25 AM PST A new study traced historical shipping records and vindicated Darwin from accusations of deceit. For the past four decades, Charles Darwin had been accused of keeping the essay of fellow naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace for a fortnight, thereby enabling him to revise elements of his theory of evolution, before jointly announcing the theory of evolution by natural selection in July 1858.

Cannabinoid 2 receptors regulate impulsive behaviour Posted: 08 Mar 2012 03:25 AM PST A new study reveals how manipulating the endocannabinoid system can modulate high levels of impulsivity. This is the main problem in psychiatric illnesses such a schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and substance abuse.

HIV/AIDS vaccine shows long-term protection against multiple exposures in non-human primates Posted: 07 Mar 2012 03:51 PM PST Scientists have developed a vaccine that has protected nonhuman primates against multiple exposures to simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) given in three clusters over more than three years. SIV is the nonhuman primate version of HIV.

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